Swami Vivekananda stated that ‘The various religions that exist in the world ,although they differ in the form of worship they take, are really one.’The likes of Maulana Wahiuddin Khans can alone save the Islam from turning into religion of killers.Islam,like any other religion of the world, allows its followers to manifest one’s divinity.

In this regard we need to have a look what Pope Pope Benedict XVI said in one of its lectures some times back.His words had then generated lot of heat within the Muslim world and the Pope had to offer an apology to the Muslims.

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In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor-Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus- must have known that sura 2, 256 reads: “There is no compulsion in religion”. According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur’an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the “Book” and the “infidels”, he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached”. The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. “God”, he says, “is not pleased by blood — and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats… To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death…

The decisive statement in this argument against violent conversion is this: not to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God’s nature. The editor, Theodore Khoury, observes: “For the emperor, as a Byzantine shaped by Greek philosophy, this statement is self-evident. But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality.” Here Khoury quotes a work of the noted French Muslim R. Arnaldez, who points out that Ibn Hazn went so far as to state that God is not bound even by his own word, and that nothing would oblige him to reveal the truth to us. Were it God’s will, we would even have to practice idolatry.”

Here comes the mother of all questions :Why has Islam which advocates values ,ensuring peace and harmony,has become center stage of blood-thirsty souls -the fake jihadis?

Ironically,elevated souls like Maulana Wahiuddin are burdened with responsibility to get Islam rid off owners of jihadi factory.The grim realities surrounding the vast chunk of Muslim section has to be tackled in a conscious manner.However,those wishing real changes should grasp the fact that time has come to curb the influence of anti-national sentiments operating through them .Thus, while progressive attitudes , social and economic changes come to environ them,these should in no way act as a shield to protect those who are involved in weakening the pillars of this nation.

After all one reason why the Muslim community is trapped in archaic concerns could be traced to its deep connection with outdated perceptions.Their medieval perceptions simply don’t fit into mainstream paradigms. The dubious role of Muslim clerics and Madarassas has to be minimized to raise standard of living of the Muslims.Let’s hope attempts to reform the community don’t get transformed into art of survival of the political blockheads or , for that matter serve the interests of dangerous minds.

It may not be entirely untrue to say that Islam advocates bloodshed.However,it does see the spread of other religions as inimical to its own growth and influence. Muslims are urged to take corrective measures to change such negative perceptions of their immediate world. Muslim intellectuals must leave no stone unturned in bringing Islam out of the shadow of the jihadis and help it regain its lost glory.